Without a doubt my favorite vacation memory was my first trip to WDW with my children. DD was 6 DS 4. We piled the entire family, including M-I-L, into the mini-van and headed south for a wonderful week long respite at Fort Wilderness Cabins.

DD had come down with a horrible winter cold (this was in March) and had a fever of over 100 the day before we left. The doctor (a personal friend) assured us that she would be fine with the help of Tylenol and that we shouldn't worry about it and instead enjoy our first time experiencing WDW with the kids.

DD was red with the fever, litterally flushed red, for the entire trip but she was a trooper and slept for the better part of the trip. The trip down was mostly uneventful, except for the early morning trip through Georgia fueled by dozens of black bottom cupcakes and by 8:00 a.m. we rolled into the FW parking lot. Not sure what to do (check is wasn't until 3:00 p.m.) we thought, what can it hurt if we ask if the cabin was ready, and what do you know it was!!! Our first taste of the magic.

There were many more magical moments that week, from the entertainers at Hoop-De-Doo flirting with DS (remember he's 4), to Pooh & Piglet at The Crystal Palace and even to breakfast at the Grand Floridian, but none compare the very first time my kids witnessed the awe that is the Magic Kingdom.

It was our first day, we'd managed a quick nap in the cabin and then caught the ferry from FW to MK. Somehow, MIL managed to get off the boat ahead of us with the camera and was able to capture the pure awe and joy on both kids faces as they got off the boat, saw the monorail above them and the railroad station ahead of them.

I wish I had a scan of the photo (gotta do that some day soon), because words simply cannot describe the looks. My DD (remember the one with the 100+ fever, cheeks flushed red and generally feeling lousy) is simply covered in happiness, a grin literally from ear to ear. My DS who had no idea what to expect, is simply star struck. His jaw is literally on the ground and if he could float away, he would have.

To this day, that picture is on a table in my house where I can look at it every day. Whenever anyone asks me why I keep going back to WDW (sometimes even without the kids), I show them that picture and say "those looks are why WDW is my other home".

Even thinking about it now chokes me up a little bit.

Thanks for reading, and Happy Birthday SR!!!!